Chapter 9:

"Go away." I said, to the person at my door. I didn't feel like talking to anyone that was downstairs.

"The guys sent us up here, so let us in." I heard Ali's voice say. I sighed.

"Make it quick." Elisa and Ali came in and shut the door behind them.

"What's wrong, Jessie?" Elisa asked.

"Nothing, I just want to be left alone."

"Bullshit, what's the matter?" Ali said.

"Well, can I ask you two something? And if you tell anyone I asked you, you will die."

"Sure, what's on your mind?" Elisa said.

"Okay, what if you wanted something, so bad you could taste it. But to get it, you'd have a choice, between making a huge sacrifice or a not so huge, but still not all-appealing choice. What would you do?"

"Well, I'd say it would diffidently depend, on everything." Elisa said.

"Nah, I say go for it. If you really want something that bad, then to hell with everything else! Everyone makes sacrifices at some point. But go for the not so huge one, because then it's like you'll gain more with the thing you want."

"So you're saying I should sleep with Eyeball." I accidentally mumbled.

"What?" They both said, unable to have heard what I had said.

"Uh, nothing."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with you wanting to be in the Cobras and having to kill someone. Does it?" Elisa said.

"What?" I said, surprised.

"Cheryl is my sister, and Ace's girlfriend. You don't think I ease drop?"

"This might be a situation similar to that."

"Jess, you have to kill someone! Who?" Ali asked.

"I don't have to. They gave me another choice."

"To do what Cheryl did to get in." Elisa said, and I nodded.

"You slut!" Ali said, and laughed.

"Hey, I haven't made a decision yet!"

"Who do you have to kill?"

"Eric. Right?" Elisa answered.

"Who is Eric, by the way." I asked.

"He is the leader of The Scorpions. The main gang in the town next to us. A guy from Eric's gang killed one of the Cobras. Her name was Jean."

"Jean. I don't remember hearing about her."

"She was Eyeball's old girlfriend. She died a year ago. She was sixteen. They were together only a year when it happened."

"Eyeball is seventeen now. I didn't know they were the same age." Ali said.

"Tell me about Jean."

"Jean Keller. She had short black hair, and green eyes. She tried to get into The Cobras, ever since she heard about the gang." Elisa said.

"What did she have to do to get in?"

"She did them both. Jean didn't like having limits. She killed one of the Scorpions, and she slept with Vince."

"Vince? I thought you said, she was Eyeball's old girl."

"She was. But that was after she was in the Cobras. I think they all had a crush on Jean at one point."

"She was that perfect huh?"

"According to them she was. You know I think Vern had a thing for her too." Ali stated.

"Vern?!? She seems a little fast for Vern."

"I don't know, I think he did." "Anyway, Eyeball and Jean wanted to get married. Then there was this huge battle between the gangs. One of the Scorpions shot at her, right through the chest."

"And that's why they want revenge on Eric."

"Exactly." Ali said.

Gordon came into the room.

"Are you okay Jessie?"

"Yeah, she's fine." Ali said.

A week had past and I still did not give an answer to The Cobras. I was still oblivious to why Ace wanted Chris dead. I was hanging around the lot, like always, when the guys started getting fed up with me.

"Listen Lachance, we ain't go all year. Are you going to shoot the Chambers kid or not?" Ace said.

"I think not. I'm not going to kill Chris. What do you have against him?"

"He's in the way, and he's got an annoying habit of standing up to me."

"You feel a little threatened and you want him dead?"

"Threatened? By a Eyeball's kid brother? I don't think so."

"So why don't you leave him alone?"

"Alright cousin Lachance.I hear ya. Hands off Chris. But do you still want to be in our gang?"

"Of course."

"Then are you going to do the other thing?"

"Sure, why not." Charlie almost choked while drinking his beer. Everyone else seemed just as surprised.

"Really? Just like that?" Ace said.

"Yeah. I've had a week to think about it, and I have, and now I'm done."

"Okay Jessie, if you're serious about this, let me give you advice." "Yeah, don't do it with Charlie. He's a cherry." Vince said. Everyone laughed, but Charlie.

"Fuck you. I'm not a cherry." Charlie mumbled to Vince.

"Shut up you morons. I was going to say, that if you're serious about this, then you should know, that the only way to get out of the Cobras, is to die."